The Belle’s Stratagem, a lovely comedy, will close the 2004-2005 mainstage theatre season on April 19-23 at 7:30 p.m.in the Highlander Theatre. Directed by Dr. Julie Rae Pratt, with scenic and lighting design by Jeff Peltz and costume design by Rae Robison, this beautifully written and daringly funny romp will enchant and charm all who have struggled to find and keep a love. Sparkling dialogue and flirty games ensue as Doricourt and Letitia negotiate the course of their impending marriage with the "help" of their friends. Giggle along as this host of delightful characters bicker about what it means to be a man and a woman in fashionable society and learn that the paramount strategy to catch a mate is to be your best self. Don’t miss this joyous carnival of mirth by rediscovered 18th century female playwright, Hannah Cowley.

The production dates are April 19-23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Highlander Theatre; Tickets will be available to season ticket subscribers beginning Monday, April 11, and to the general public on Wednesday, April 13. General admission is: $9 for general public; $8 for faculty, staff and senior citizens; $6 for students. Call the box office at 660-543-8811 to make your reservations. All seats are reserved. No children under five years of age will be admitted. Payment must be received with reservation; cash, check, Visa, MasterCard or Discovery accepted. Treat yourself to an evening of laughter!

Department Receives Top Honors

The University of Central Missouri Department of Theatre received top honors in directing, acting, theatrical design, stage management, playwriting, and dramaturgy at the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival held in St. Louis, MO Jan. 16-22, 2005.

The KCACTF Region V festival included 90 universities and more than 1,400 faculty and students from theatre departments in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The festival presents performances from invited productions from the top shows in the region and hosts acting, design, playwriting, and dramaturgy competitions.

Children's Theatre

Central Missouri’s world-premiere children’s theatre production of In the Yose: Tales from Japan, directed by Dr. Julie Pratt, was one of nine shows selected from more than 250 productions to be performed at the festival. In the Yose: Tales from Japan performed for capacity audiences on Jan. 20 at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. in the JC Penney Theatre on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. UCM’s production of Some Assembly Required, directed by Dr. Richard Herman, was one of two shows chosen as alternates to the festival for production.

Daniel Parks - First place Barbizon Lighting Design.

Design Awards Numerous awards were received by Central Missouri students in the areas of design. Daniel Parks received first place in the Barbizon Award for Theatrical Design Excellence in Lighting Design for In the Yose: Tales from Japan. Daniel has been selected to represent Region V at the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April 2005. Tim Rothwell was the runner-up in this competition for his lighting design for Proof. Mark Hambrecht received first place in the Region V Design/Tech/Expo for his scenic design for Endgame, Ryan McIntire and Michele Sansone received second place in the Region V Design/Tech/Expo for their puppet designs for In the Yose: Tales from Japan, and Heather Tucker was selected to the Region V Honors Stage Management Team for her stage management of Some Assembly Required.

Meritorious Achievement Awards

Kennedy Center American College Theatre Meritorious Achievement Awards were presented to Central Missouri students David Hawkinson for Scenic Design and Andrew Clarey for Original Music for Much Ado About Nothing, Christina Reiter for Dramaturgy for Proof, Tim Rothwell and David Hawkinson for Scenic Design, Greg Chafin for Dramaturgy and Michele Sansone and Ryan McIntire for Puppets for In the Yose: Tales from Japan.

Jason Eaken and his acting partner, Dale McDonald, competed in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions. They were one of 16 finalists out of 308 students entered in the auditions. Their acting work was showcased in the Irene Ryan Finals on Jan. 16, 2005 at the Anheuser-Busch Theatre in the Touhill Center on the UMSL campus. Playwriting student Angel Kenison received a Meritorious Achievement Award from the KCACTF National Playwriting Program for being a 24-Hour Play Festival Invited Playwright. Her play Still the Same was presented Jan. 18 in the JC Penney Theatre. Greg Chafin was selected as one of six student directors from the region to direct the 10-minute play Ninjas, Assassins, and Chick Flicks. The play was runner up for the National 10-Minute Play Festival. Greg Chafin was also runner up for the Region V Student Dramaturgy Award for In the Yose: Tales from Japan. Faculty Recognition Central MissouriTheatre faculty also received numerous Kennedy Center Awards and Recognition. Meritorious Achievement Awards were presented to Jeff Peltz for scenic design and John Wilson for directing for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and to Rae Robison for costume design and Jeff Peltz for scenic design for Some Assembly Required. Rae Robison's costumes for Much Ado About Nothing were selected for the Region V Costume Parade and John Wilson directed a scene from Much Ado About Nothing which was selected for the Region V Showcase of Invited Scenes.

Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award

Central Missouri Theatre Alums Harry and Kathi Blundell will receive the Ed See Outstanding Theatre Alumnus Award on April 23, 2005. The presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m. on the Highlander Theatre stage in conjunction with the closing night of the mainstage production The Belle’s Stratagem, April 23. Following the production there will be a reception in the theatre lobby. We hope you can all attend and celebrate with Harry and Kathi.

Central Missouri Repertory - 2005 Summer Season

Central Missouri Repertory will celebrate its 24th season with a tremendous line-up of shows guaranteed to entertain audiences of all ages. This season includes The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum with Music and Lyrics from the MGM Motion Picture score by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg and Book Adaptation by John Kane, July 9, 13, 15, 19, & 21, The Streets of Warrensburg, Or The Good, The Bad, and The Funny by Jeanne Beechwood, Dan Hall and Jon Copeland July 8, 14, 16, 20, & 22, and The Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood by Judy Wolfman July 16 in Warrensburg.

The Wizard of Oz

Dr. Richard Herman will direct The Wizard of Oz with musical direction by Sam Stokes. This production will be produced in association with Center Stage Academy. Center Stage Academy is a performing arts academy in Warrensburg owned and run by Central Missouri theatre alumni Casey and Jennifer Renfrow. They will hold a six-week Musical Theatre Intensive workshop in which 32 children who have been cast in The Wizard of Oz will not only learn the music, choreography and acting for the musical, but will be given additional instruction in performing, auditions and other theatrical techniques.

The Streets of Warrensburg, Or The Good, The Bad, and The Funny

Central Missouri Repertory is also partnering with Martin City Melodrama and Vaudeville from Kansas City. This summer marks Warrensburg’s Sesquicentennial and with that in mind, CMR and the Sesquicentennial committee commissioned Jeannie Beechwood, Dan Hall and Jon Copeland to write an original melodrama and vaudeville about Warrensburg, MO. This dynamic trio have been working with the committee and Lisa Irle to dig up all the funny facts about the wonderful town of Warrensburg. Jeanne will direct the production and Jon will provide musical direction.

The REAL Story of Little Red Riding Hood

Our touring children’s theatre production The REAL Story of Little Red Riding Hood will be directed by Central Missouri alumni Chuck Adamson and will perform in Warrensburg and tour the surrounding cites of Blue Springs, Clinton, Richmond, Sedalia, and Whiteman Air Force Base. Associate Professor of Theatre John Wilson will serve as Company Manager and Assistant Professor of Theatre Jeff Peltz will serve as scenic and lighting designer.

he spring season of BlackBox Theatre productions include two Honor’s College projects, a Festival of 10-minute plays, original works by Central Missouri students, and published plays. Senior theatre major Christina Reiter created, organized and directed an original improvisation troupe called Shenanigans for her Honor’s Project in the Honor’s College. The improv troupe is comprised of UCM students and has performed throughout the fall and spring semesters. Their performance schedule in the BlackBox includes Feb. 12 and April 1-2.

For theatre minor Kelly Silverberg’s Honor’s Project, she has written and will direct an original piece which includes both video and live performances. This large cast production entitled The Perks of Being A Wallflower will be presented April 24-25.

Senior theatre major Angel Kenison has written three original ten-minute plays. Two of these were written in playwriting class and submitted to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre 10-Minute Play Festival. Based on her plays, Angel was invited to the Regional Festival in January to participate in the 24-Hour Play Festival. Angel wrote an original play for this event in a seven hour time period. Angel’s three works were directed by graduate student Amanda Boyle and presented in the BlackBox on March 19.

Freshmen theatre major David Shewell wrote and directed an original children’s show entitled Wolf on Trial which was presented March 3. A group of theatre majors including Joel Moses, Tim Rothwell and Zachary Thonen have been presenting a series of performances inspired by their own lives called Bacon Shake. These productions have become crowd favorites and have developed their own following of loyal supporters. Bacon Shake “Who Wants Seconds” was presented March 3 and Bacon Shake “Left Overs” will be presented April 1-2.

On April 9, theatre sophomore major Ryan Fortney will direct On Tidy Endings and Kristin Fitzsimmons and Jamie Hibdon will direct Sacre Bleu.

The BlackBox productions are supervised by faculty members John Wilson and Julie Pratt. All productions are free to the public, recommended for mature audiences, and have a curtain time of 7:30 p.m.

Schnake Receives Outstanding Theatre Teacher in Missouri Award

Central Missouri theatre alumni Todd Schnake recently received the Judith Rethwisch Award for Outstanding Theatre Teacher in Missouri at the annual Missouri State Thespian Festival in January. Schnake, who has directed nearly thirty-five plays including one-act, mainstage and readers theatre over the past 14 years, received the State Thespian Award to honor his work and dedication in theatre.

Schnake is theatre instructor at Ray-Pec High School in Peculiar, MO where his productions have included The Diviners, Footloose, Macbeth, The Nerd, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.

From the Greenroom

Rick Stevens has made the move to New York and is currently Director of Administration and Development for The Culture Project, an Off Broadway theatre which created The Exonerated and this fall will open their first show on Broadway, Sarah Jones bridge and tunnel ... Tim McCray is the ETC manufacture representative for Missouri and Kansas at Mercer Zimmerman, Inc. in Kansas City and also Artistic Director at Theatre at Vis, a community theatre company based at Visitation Catholic Church ... Laura Downing-Lee sends her "hellos" from California and hopes to visit the Missouri area this summer ... Lisa Mettlen is Promotions Assistant for Country 106.5 WDAF in Kansas City and will be competing for Miss Missouri this summer ... Dara Kenealy departed for Merida, Mexico in January for a mission trip at a church in Yucatan ... Randy Koonse performed the role of “Greylag” in the musical Honk! with the Area Community Theatre of Yongsan Army Base in Seoul Korea ... Anastasia Armes is working as a freelance designer for “Costumes! Ltd.” in Santa Fe, New Mexico ... Sean Berry is teaching at Republic High School and working on an MA at SMSU ... Emily Gann writes that she will be getting married to Jesse Koroff this June in Chicago ... Todd and Laura (Terry) Proffitt are living in western New York where Todd teaches Lighting and Sound Design for SUNY-Fredonia. In the summers, Todd serves as production manager and lighting designer for Chautauqua Conservatory Theatre Company. Laura works part-time at a local credit union and is a full-time mom to four-year old Rachel ... Jennifer Green is in her first year of graduate studies towards an MFA in costume design at the University of Alabama ... Kelly Melies is currently employed working with developmentally handicapped persons in Overland Park, KS. He is also starting his own audio and video production company ... Matt Webster is directing Brighton Beach Memoirs this spring ... Jennifer Burgess and Anthony Medina are getting married on April 2. Jennifer is a theatre instructor at Delta Woods Middle School in Blue Springs, Mo.

Baby Wave!

The following are expecting new arrivals (babies!!!) this spring, summer or early fall: Rae Robison, Jennifer Renfrow (twins!!!), Cheryl Morris, Kari Stokes and Kerry Austin. Congratulations to all!

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